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Perhaps Mike Wallace merely wants to make a statement, so he did not show up on time. Maybe he will report, say, by Friday, when they put the pads on for the first time.

Or maybe he really plans to hold out for awhile. If his goal is to force the Steelers to give in and give him what he wants, he needs to read up on a little bit of their history in these matters. Or, I can just tell him right now.

The Steelers don’t blink in these matters. I’ve seen them give players too much in contracts, more money than they would have liked to give, but they do not budge when a player tries to put them over a barrel like this. Holdout? Call Mike Merriweather. He was their best defensive player when he held out in 1988 with one year left on his contract.

As the Steelers have done with Wallace, they stopped negotiating and told him they would resume once he reported. He never did. He held out the entire season, and it turned into one of the worst in the era that began with Chuck Noll. They went 5-11. But they never panicked, even if they thought Merriweather would help them improve if only they gave him the contract he wanted. He held out the entire season. Just before the draft, the traded him to Minnesota for a first-round pick.

Franco Harris held out too. They cut him. Hines Ward held out for two weeks, they shut down negotiations with him until he returned. Jack Lambert held out in one training camp.

So, understand, holding out yields nothing. The Steelers take a long view on these matters. If they give in to Wallace, it sets a precedent. Maybe Antonio Brown and/or Emmanuel Sanders tries it next year. Or, one day, Ben Roethlisberger. These aren’t the Jacksonville Jaguars. They have a history in these matters, it is consistent and, so are those making the decisions. Dan Rooney, by the way, is back from Ireland for a few weeks. He’s the one who cut Franco.

Now, if Wallace’s plan is to stay away for a few weeks as Ward did in 2005 and then report and try to get a deal, fine. But he will have lost two weeks of negotiations and also two weeks of learning Todd Haley’s new offense. There’s little to gain there either.

The final goal by Wallace could be to hold out until there are six games left, sign the one-year tender (losing nearly $1.9 million of the $2.742 million he could have earned for an entire year) and finish out the season. Those minimum of six games will count 2012 as a year toward free agency and allow Wallace to become an unrestricted free agent in 2013.

That’s a rather large gamble, particularly after Wallace’s swoon in the second half of last season, when his attitude also turned sour – something the Steelers have noted, by the way. What team might fork over Larry Fitzgerald money for a receiver who has done little in 1 ˝ seasons? Maybe there is someone out there. Maybe they’ve already promised him they will give him big money next year, which could be driving Wallace’s holdout for a top deal.

There’s nothing wrong with a player witholding services. The team cannot fine him and they have such short careers that they should maximize their potential earnings with whatever tools are available to them.

But in this case, the path to that goal for Wallace is not the one he’s taking.

Hines had 2 years left on a contract when he didn't show up...that is the definition of a hold out.

Wallace is not currently signed, and therefore is not in camp. You can't just show up to a training camp and grab a helmet if you are not signed to an NFL contract. I'm not signed either, so I'm not in camp right now. At this point, without a signed contract, Mike Wallace is no more a Steeler than I am. He is not a hold out...he is a restricted free agent without a signed contract. Folks may think this is just a semantic argument, but there is a pretty large difference there...Hines was not living up to the contract terms that he agreed to, whereas Wallace hasn't agreed to any contract terms at all at this point.

Hines also picked his battle and held out when the Steelers had no other serviceable WRs to work with. Wallace may be a lot better than Ward, but he doesn't have that leverage.

Hines also picked his battle and held out when the Steelers had no other serviceable WRs to work with. Wallace may be a lot better than Ward, but he doesn't have that leverage.

That is the point I've been making. Wallace may be playing right into Antonio Brown and Manny Sanders hands. He may be earning them not him big contract extensions because they may be able to be had combined for what he wants by himself.

Playing Fantasy Football does not qualify you to be the in the front office or on the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are professionals and you are not!

If he doesn't report they should be done talking. When he is on the field then he earns the right to negotiate.

I always like how fans are so quick to take the hard line on these type of situations. If it were you an athlete playing a violent game that at any time your career could be over due to injury and you know that regardless of injury your career will be over before you are 40, wouldn't you want some kind of security?

I always like how fans are so quick to take the hard line on these type of situations. If it were you an athlete playing a violent game that at any time your career could be over due to injury and you know that regardless of injury your career will be over before you are 40, wouldn't you want some kind of security?

The whole "I'm afraid of injury" BS is well...BS. He is afraid to get hurt but once he gets the money he doesn't mind getting hurt because that's the team's problem not his. Great perspective on being part of a team.

Every player in camp right now could get a career ending injury at any time. Many of them making way less than $2.7M. I guess Wallace just thinks he's a little more "special" than any of them.

Playing Fantasy Football does not qualify you to be the in the front office or on the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are professionals and you are not!

I always like how fans are so quick to take the hard line on these type of situations. If it were you an athlete playing a violent game that at any time your career could be over due to injury and you know that regardless of injury your career will be over before you are 40, wouldn't you want some kind of security?

The whole "I'm afraid of injury" BS is well...BS. He is afraid to get hurt but once he gets the money he doesn't mind getting hurt because that's the team's problem not his. Great perspective on being part of a team.

Every player in camp right now could get a career ending injury at any time. Many of them making way less than $2.7M. I guess Wallace just thinks he's a little more "special" than any of them.

I'm tired of the Wallace 'thang'! If Da Kid won't sign on the dotted line and get to TC he just might need a good old decleater to get him out of his funk-- kind of like when you slap an old radio upside the plastic to get it working right again. James? You busy tonight?

The whole "I'm afraid of injury" BS is well...BS. He is afraid to get hurt but once he gets the money he doesn't mind getting hurt because that's the team's problem not his. Great perspective on being part of a team.

Every player in camp right now could get a career ending injury at any time. Many of them making way less than $2.7M. I guess Wallace just thinks he's a little more "special" than any of them.

If you don't think that Wallace is a little more "special" than most, I don't know what games you are watching. Special players get paid. Wallace is a special player. Period.

The people making less than $2.7 million are either role players or still on their rookie contract.

A 32 year old Larry "Slow-A-" Foote will make more than Wallace's RFA tender this year (he's due $3 million in base salary). Foote's $1.8 million signing bonus on the three-year, $9.3 million contract he signed a couple of seasons ago is more than Wallace made in his 3 NFL seasons combined ($1.74 million). You don't think his 171 catches for 3206 yards and 24 touchdowns are worth more than Larry Foote?

If you don't think that Wallace is a little more "special" than most, I don't know what games you are watching. Special players get paid. Wallace is a special player. Period.

The people making less than $2.7 million are either role players or still on their rookie contract.

A 32 year old Larry "Slow-A-" Foote will make more than Wallace's RFA tender this year (he's due $3 million in base salary). Foote's $1.8 million signing bonus on the three-year, $9.3 million contract he signed a couple of seasons ago is more than Wallace made in his 3 NFL seasons combined ($1.74 million). You don't think his 171 catches for 3206 yards and 24 touchdowns are worth more than Larry Foote?

I don't think that Wallace is "special" compared to other NFL WRs. he excels at one thing...running really fast. As far as other WR skills he probably ranks third when compared to Brown, Sander and Cotchery.

The issue isn't not wanting Wallace or not wanting him to get a decent contract (good for team too). The issue is Wallace not being where he should be. The Steelers made it clear---Not at camp = no talk contract. It has always been that way. So Wallace either thinks the Steelers are going to change how they do buisness for him or he is just plain stupid.

Playing Fantasy Football does not qualify you to be the in the front office or on the coaching staff of the Pittsburgh Steelers. They are professionals and you are not!

If you don't think that Wallace is a little more "special" than most, I don't know what games you are watching. Special players get paid. Wallace is a special player. Period.

The people making less than $2.7 million are either role players or still on their rookie contract.

A 32 year old Larry "Slow-A-" Foote will make more than Wallace's RFA tender this year (he's due $3 million in base salary). Foote's $1.8 million signing bonus on the three-year, $9.3 million contract he signed a couple of seasons ago is more than Wallace made in his 3 NFL seasons combined ($1.74 million). You don't think his 171 catches for 3206 yards and 24 touchdowns are worth more than Larry Foote?

c'mon ruth, we could find situations like this all day.
how much did foote make his first 3 years?
i can ask you if you think it would be wise fore the steelers to give wallace 20 million per year for the next 10 years because 'he has better number after 3 seasons than rice'
of course he is worth more than foote. how much more and is it possible to pay him that much based on our cap situation and how it will effect the team down the road is the question.
i dont get the 'just pay the man whatever he wants' mentality. especially from a steelers message board where this team's philosophy has been so successful for so long.